Watch case



OCL 9, 1955 HANS-JEAN STEIMANN 2,765,614

WATCH CASE A Filed March le, 1954 -fv- 2 www United States Patent OWATCH CASE Hans-Jean' Steimann, La Chaux-de-Fonds, SwitzerlandApplication March 16, 1954, Serial No. 416,645 Claims priority,application Switzerland March 17, 1953 Claims. (Cl. 58-90) The presentinvention relates to a watch; this watch is characterized by the featurethat its work is located in a caging frame or ring which holds it inplace and which is provided, on its outer face, with an annular shoulderconstituting a tighting member, pinched between a bearing surface of amember of the casing and a shoulder of the bottom, this latter beingsecured to the body of the casing.

The annexed drawing shows, by way of example, three embodiments of theobject of the invention.

Fig. 1 is an axial section of a part of the first embodiment, and

Figs. 2 and 3 are partial sections of the second and third embodimentsrespectively.

The casing of the watch shown in Fig. l comprises a body-rim 1 in whichis seated a glass 2. The bottom 3 of the casing is provided with ashoulder 3a threaded in a flange 1a of the body-rim. The work 4 islocated in a cap-shaped protecting member 5 made of plastic matter, onthe edge 6 of which bears the shoulder 7 of the base-plate of the work;this cap-shaped protecting member 5 constitutes thus a caging frame orring. It is fitted in the body-rim 1; it shows an annular outer shoulder5a pinched between the shoulder 3a of the bottom and a bearing surface 8of the body-rim. This shoulder 5a constitutes the thinnest part of theprotecting cap-shaped member and constitutes a tighting joint betweenthe bottom and the body-rim.

In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the protecting capshaped memberconstituting the caging frame in which is located the work 4, is engagedin a cap-shaped glass 10; the shoulder 9a of this protecting cap-shapedmember is pressed by the shoulder 3a of the bottom 3 against the edge 11of the cap-shaped glass 10. This latter shows an outer bearing surface10a pressed, by the axial pressure produced by the bottom, against aninner bearing surface 12 of the body-rim designated by 13.

At last, in the embodiment of Fig. 3, the cap-shaped glass is made oftwo parts and comprises a part 14 constituting the glass itself and apart 15 constituting the lateral wall of the cap in which is introducedthe protecting cap-shaped member 16 of the work 17; the shoulder 16a ofthis cap-shaped member is pressed by the shoulder 18a of the bottom 18against the edge 19 of the lateral part 15 of the cap-shaped glass. Thepart 15 is made of plastic matter; it could also be made of metal.

What I claim is:

1. In a watch, the combination of a covering unit including a case bandand a glass cap carried by the latter, said unit being provided alongits inner surface with a shoulder the annular surface of which,perpendicular to the axis of the case band, faces downwardly, a casebottom secured to the lower end of the covering unit and having anannular upper surface section facing the shoulder surface of thecovering unit, said cooperating surface section on the case bottom andshoulder surface on the covering unit forming with each other a narrowannular gap extending perpendicularly to the axis of the case band, aunitary cage frame of plastic material including a bottom sectionengaging the case bottom, a peripheral upstanding wall formed on thebottom section and engaging the inner periphery of the cover unit and anouter peripheral flange rigid with and projecting outside saidupstanding wall and tightly gripped inside the gap in immediatecontacting relationship with the annular surface section of the casebottom and the shoulder section on the covering unit, and a clockworkfitted inside the upstanding wall of the cage frame.

2. In a watch, the combination of a glass cap, a case-band carrying thelatter and provided along its inner surface with a shoulder the annularsurface of which, perpendicular to the axis 0f the case band, facesdownwardly, a case bottom secured to the lower end of the case band andhaving an annular upper surface section facing the shoulder surface ofthe case band, said cooperating surface section on the case bottom andshoulder surface on the case band forming with each other a narrowannular gap extending perpendicularly to the axis of the case band, aunitary cage frame of plastic material including a bottom sectionengaging the case bottom, a peripheral upstanding wall formed on thebottom section and engaging the inner periphery of the case band and anouter peripheral ange rigid with and projection outside said upstandingwall and tightly gripped inside the gap in immediate contactingrelationship with the annular surface secton of the case bottom and theshoulder section on the case band, and a clockwork tted inside theupstanding wall of the cage frame.

3. In a watch, the combination of a covering unit including a case band,a glass cap carried by the latter, said unit being provided along itsinner surface with a shoulder the annular surface of which,perpendicular to the axis of the case bandVfaces downwardly, a casebottom threadedly fitted to the lower end of the case band and having anannular upper surface facing the shoulder surface of the covering unit,said cooperating surface section of the case bottom and shoulder surfaceon the covering unit forming with each other a narrow annular gapextending perpendicularly to the axis of the case band, a unitary cageframe of plastic material including a bottom section engaging the casebottom, a peripheral upstanding wall formed on the bottom section andengaging the inner periphery of the cover unit and an outer peripheralflange rigid with and projecting outside said upstanding wall andtightly gripped inside the gap in immediate contacting relationship withthe annular surface section on the case bottom and the shoulder sectionon the covering unit, and a clockwork fitted inside the upstanding wallof the cage frame.

4. A watch-case comprising a case-band, a substantially cup-shapedprotecting member including an upper transparent section and `adepending peripheral cylindrical section in one with the first sectionand fitted inside the case-band, the lower edge of said cylindricaldepending section forming a surface perpendicular to the axis of thecase, a case bottom secured to the case-band and having an annular uppersurface section facing the surface of the lower edge of the dependingsection of the protecting member to form therewith a narrow annular gap,a unitary cage frame of plastic material including a bottom sectionengaging the case bottom inside the said annular surface section, aperipheral upstanding wall formed on the bottom section and engaging theinner periphery of the depending section and an outer peripheral angerigid with and projecting outside said upstanding wall and tightlygripped inside the gap in immediate contacting relationship with theannular surface section on the case bottom and with the surface on thelower edge of the depending section of the protecting member and aclockwork itted inside the upstanding wall of the cage frame.

5. A watch-case comprising a case-band, a transparent dome extendingover the inside of the case-band, an independent substantially'cylindrical rigid member tted inside the case band and inside which thedome is tted,

the lower edge of said cylindrical member forming a.y

surface perpendicular to the axis of the case, a case bottom secured tothe case-band and having an annular upper surface section facing thesurface of the lower edge of the cylindrical member to form therewith anarrow annular gap, a unitary cage trame of plastic material including abottom section engaging the case bottom inside the said annular surfacesection, a peripheral upstanding wall formed on the bottom section andengaging the inner periphery of the cylindrical member and an 4 outerperipheral flange rigid with and projecting outside said upstanding walland tightly gripped inside the gap in immediate contacting relationshipwith the annular surface section on the case bottom and with the surfacein the lower edge of the cylindrical member, and a clockwork ittedinside the upstanding wall of the cage frame.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,853,388 Wadsworth Apr. l2, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 213,289 SwitzerlandMay l, 194i 222,298 Switzerland Oct. l, 1942 905,856 France Apr. 30,1945

